Governor for cotton-gins and cotton-gin feeders



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I L. 1). FORBES. Governor fOIKOOttOD Gins and Cotton Gin Feeders. Y No. 241,470. Patented May 10,1881.

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o L. D. FORBES. Governor for Cotton Gins and Cotton Gin Feeders. No. 241,470 Patented May 10, I88I.

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(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3- L. D. PORBES. Governor for Cotton Ginsand Cotton Gin Feeders.

No. 241,470. 1 Patented May 10,l8:8 l.

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N. PEI'ERS. Fhoto-Lithcgnphar, Washington, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.I

LYCURGUS D. FORBES, OF STRANGER, TEXAS.

GO VERNOR FOR COTTON-GINS AND COTTON-GIN FEEDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,470, dated May 10, 1881.

Application filed April 14, 1881.

To all whom it may concern My invention relates to an improvement in governors for cotton-gins and cotton-gin feeders; and it consists, first, in the combination of an oscillating or movable roll'breast with a regulating attachment, whereby thesize of the roll or the pressure of the cotton in therollbox is made to regulate the feed to the gin to any desired degree; second, in forming a series of slots through theouter side of the roll-breast, so that the cotton-seed may be discharged through the outer side of the breast, as well as in addition to the usual slot which is made through the bottom of the roll-box; third, the

combination of an oscillating or a yielding roll- 'through the outer side of the roll-box.

4, 5, and 6 are detail views ofthe same.

breast, a series of connecting-1evers,a scale to indicate the pressure, and a mechanism for throwing the feeder out of gear whenever the pressure in the roll-box exceeds a given amount, all of which will be more fully described/hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to produce a governor for cotton-gins and cotton-gin feeders, so that there will always be a certain-sized roll or pressure of cotton in the roll-box, which is about the full capacity of the machine to gin, and which governor will throw the feeder out of gear should the cotton be fed into the rollbox so that the pressure of the cotton exceeds the given amount, whereby the gin is kept working at its full capacity all the time without the slightest danger of its choking" or be in g injured.

Figure 1 is an end view of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation taken Figs.

(ModeL) My invention is placed upon the top of the cotton-gin, which has been prepared for it. Should it be desired to apply the machine to a gin which has not been built especially for use in connection with my invention, it is only necessary to remove the roll-breast and then apply my invention upon the top of the gin, so that the roll-breast A will take the place of the roll-breast which is removed. The breast A, instead of being made a rigid part of the machine, is here placed lightly upon the machine, so that it can be turned back out of the way, or will have a back-and-forth or oscillating motion, so as to contract or enlarge the size of the roll-box, according to the pressure of the cotton. its ends an iron casting, B, which projects forward overthe top of the roll-breast, and these castings are pivoted at their inner ends to the connecting-rods C, and to each of the connecting-rods O is secured a supportingroller, D, and these rolls support the breast in position.

ThetopE ofthe roll-breastis here shown curved,

so that as the roll-breast is forced backward by the pressureof the cotton in the roll-box the breast will rise upward, so as to enlarge or increase the size of the roll-box in two directions at the same time. This breast has arms F secured to its outer side so as to project beyond the ends of the roll-box, and through these arms are passed the set-screws G, which bear against the edges of the gin-head, and thus regulate the distance which the roll-breast shall move inward. By turning these screws inward the roll-breast can be moved outward from the gin-head, and thus increase the size of the roll-box; or by reversing the movement of the screws the gin-head will swing inward, so as to decrease the size of the roll-box. Also secured to the lower end of the roll-breast, in addition to the arms F,is a second set of arms, H, through which are also passed set-screws, and which arms and set-screws serve to throw the bottom of the roll outward, so as to regulate the escape of the seed from the roll-box. Where the seed do not escape freely enough from the roll-box the lower end of the breast can be moved outward; but should the seed be escaping too freely before the lint is thor- This roll-box A has secured to each of 6 oughly ginned from them, the breast can be moved inward, so as to prevent them from escaping before they have been thoroughly cleaned.

One great objection to the cotton-gin now in use has always been that the seed do not escape freely enough from the roll-boxes, and hence the roll will frequently be carryin g around a large quantity of seed which should escape from the box as soon as they are ginned. In order to prevent these seed from being thus carried around bythe roll, I form in the outer side of the breast a series of slots, I, having any desired width between them, and then inside of this slotted plate I use a second sliding slotted plate, J, which can be adjusted endwise by means of suitable set-screws or other equivalent devices, so that the size of the spaces can be increased or diminished at will. With these slots through the outer side of the roll-box the seed are forced out of the roll-box much more rapidly than they would escape through the usual space which is made through the bottom of the roll-box. It must be understood that the seed are not wholly discharged from these slots, but that the slots are auxiliary to the usual discharge'opening through the bottom of the roll-box.

When the gin is to be fed by means of a ginfeeder the roll K is pivoted in the end castings of the roll-breast, and the roll in the roll-box, bearing against this roll as it revolves, causes the roll to move with it, and this roll serves to catch the cotton which is being fed by the feeder and takes it directly into the roll-box. If, however, it should be desired to feed the machine by hand instead of bya feeder, this roller may be removed, and then the hinged top L of the roll-breast may be turned forward and secured in the same position that was occupied by the roller, and then a solid top is formed to the roll-breast. This solid top will be used when the gin is being fed by hand, instead of by a feeder; but this solid top will also be used in connection with a feeder, if so desired.

The roll-boxes of some gins do not receive the cotton from the feeder as freely as they should, and hence the cotton is liable to pile up upon the top of the roll-breast and choke the feeder, and where this is the ease the roller is necessary to feed the cotton directly into the roll-box. Where the gin-box receives the cotton freely, or where the gin is to be fed by hand, the roll is not necessary.

The connecting-rods O are pivoted at their outer ends to the pivoted levers M, which are connected by the straps N to the lever 0. When the roll-breast is forced backward by the pressure of the cotton in the roll-box, either at one end or along its whole length, this backward movement is communicated through the connecting-rods G and the levers N to the lever 0.

To the outer end of the lever 0 there are fastened two wires, cords, or ropes, P Q, the one P being fastened nearest to the center of the lever O, and either connected directly to a slide, R, or geared thereto through a roller, S. Where the roller S is used the gearing is in creased, so asto make avery slightmovementof 'the lever 0 move the slide a greater distance.

. large toothed roller of the feeder. This tootled roller is driven by a belt from the shaft of the gin, and this roller, in turn, reciproeates t le frame back and forth. As this frame ro-"ks back and forth, the dog or pawl is made to t t n...

the ratchet, and thus feed the apron forward that carries the cotton to the toothed r0112. In proportion to the speed at which the frame is reciprocated back and forth the apron w ll be fed faster or slower, so as to deliver the HOL- ton more rapidly or more slowly to the toothed roller.

Passing through the slide R is a suit? lie shaft, Y, which is provided with a thumb-i at, Z, which can be turned so as to tighten or loosen the rope P. By drawingthis slide downward by turning this shaft it will readily be seen that the pawl has a shorter movement, and hence will turn the ratchet of the feedapron more slowly forward, and when the slide is allowed to rise upward by the pressure of the spring attached to its top the movement of the frame will give it a longer stroke, and thus thefeed-apron will be moved more rapidly.

The rope, wire, or chain Q passes under the separate roller 1 of its own, and is fastened to the lower end of an ordinary spring-scale, 2. To the upper end of the spring-scale is secured a suitable cord, rope, or chain, 3, which can be tightened or loosened by means of the small shaft 3, passing forward through the top of the frame, and having a thumb-nut attached to its outer end. This scale indicates the pressure at which the cotton is to be fed into the rollbox, and which pressure is supposed to be the full capacity of the gin.

Extending upward from the top of the frame is the upright 4, to which is secured the horizontal arm, and passing up through this horizontal arm is a set-screw, 5. Thisset-screw is to be regulated up and down, and against the top of which the under side of the pawl strikes whenever the pressure in the roll box has reached the limit at which it was set.

Screwed into the lower part of the upright is a second set-screw, 6, against which the end of the lever O is to strike when the pressure in the roll-box has exceeded its utmost capacity. The cotton should never be fed into the roll-box to such an extent that this lever will strike against the set-screw, for when the lever is in contact with the set-screw then the breast ,zfis moved backward to that degree where the governor can no longer act. PM The operation of my machine is as follows: -;To set the governor so that it will regulate the ,t 7 size of the roll in the roll-box to the full capacity of the gin, the size of the roll must be rzfirst determined by experiment. When it has i been discovered what size of roll the gin will rowjqarry best, the pressure of the roll upon the :e ljreast is readily ascertained by putting the I roll in the roll-box and allowing the roll to exort its power against the breast. This press- {ll-1'6 of the roll against the breast is indicated Ifyaby the scale in pounds. The slide R is then -'.-d;rawn downward by means of the shaft Y and eljillumb-nut Z until the under side of the dog 121 pawl U strikes the top of the regulating setscrew 5. Until this dog does come in contact zqxrnith the set-screw 5 the rocking frame conigrctinues to feed the feed-apron forward; but .itshould the cotton be fed into the roll-box so i .vtlaat the pressure exceeds even one pound be- -.,yond the limit which has been decided upon, s'it ben the cord P, through the lever 0, draws the slide farther down than the point at which it was set, and the under edge of the pawl strik- Jdilngg against the set-screw 5, the outer end of t itre pawl is thrown out of gear with the ratchet land the feed is immediately stopped. As soon as, the pressure has been reduced so that it no longer exceeds the given limit the breast-roll moves inwardtoward the gin,.and thus establishes the pressure upon the lever O, and this 3 5 lever then allows the slide R to move upward again to the position to which it was adjusted,

and whenit reaches this position the dog engages with the ratchet, and the oscillating movement of the frame causes the apron to he- 40 gin feeding the cotton again to the toothed roll. Should the pressure of the roll decrease considerably below the limit at which it was set, the roll-breast will move inward toward the gin sufficiently far to ease the pressure upon the lever 0 until the slide can move up ward to a higher point than the point at which it was adjusted, and as the stroke of the pawl is lengthened-in proportion as the slide moves upward, it will readily be seen that at each stroke of the frame the ratchet will be moved I a greater distance, and thus the apron will be e made'to feed the cotton more rapidly to the roller and the roller will feed it more rapidly into the roll-box. By the arrangement and combination of parts above described it is only necessary to I adjust the pressure of the governor to any desired size of roll that is best suited to the capacity of the gin, and then the machine needs 60,}10 further attention. Should too much cotton flat any time be fed into the roll-box, the governor will at once throw the feed out of gear -,;until this overpressure has been reduced, and tshould the feed at any time become too light, the rapidity of the speed is correspondingly a: we

increased until the full pressure is reached. An operator to watch the gin to see that it does not choke is done away with, and the machine is made entirely automatic in its operation in every respect.

By the application of a governor, as above described, to acotton-gin, the gin is kept ginning to its utmost capacity all the time, and henceit gins cotton with an evenness and regularity which can be acquired in no other way.

Where a gin is fed by hand the pressure lre-.

quently becomes so great as to choke the machine, and then time is lost in easing the pressure upon the saws, or the gin is not fed fast enough to run at its full capacity, and in either case much time is lost. Where a governor is thus used a larger roll can be kept constantly in the roll-box and the gin made to do a much larger quantity of work in a given time than is now accomplished.

The principle of my invention consists in making the pressum of the cotton in the rollbox governQand control the whole mechanism by which tfije feeding is regulated. Instead of the breast bein gmade movable, a movable roller or other equivalentdevice may be used by making the roller movable, back and forth while the breast remains stationary.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a cotton-gin, the combination of a movable or oscillating roll-breast or roller with a suitable mechanism connected thereto and 0perated by the pressure of the roll in the rollbox, substantially as shown.

2. In acotton-gin, the combination of a movable or oscillating roll-breast, suitable connecting-rods, a scale for indicating the pressure, and a mechanism for throwing the feeder out of gear when the limit of pressure is reached, substantially as described.

3. In a cotton-gin, a roll-breast having slots made through its outer side for the escape of the seed, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a roll-breast, having slots through its outer side for the escape of the seed, with a regulating-slide for controlling the size of the slots, substantially as specified.

5. In a cotton-gin, a movable roll-breast proided with suitable supporting-rollers,whereby it is movably supported in position upon the gin, substantially as shown.

6. In a cotton-gin, a rollbreast provided with arms F and set-sore ws G, whereby the roll maybe prevented from moving inward for the purpose of increasing the size of the roll-box, substantially as described.

7. In a cotton-gin, the combination of arollbreast, connecting-rods O, a series of levers connected to the lever O, the cords P Q, the slide provided with a pawl for operating the feed-apron, and a spring for denoting the pressure, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of areciprocating frame, a slide, R, the set-screw 5, the dog U, and the ratchet of the feed-apron, substantially as can adjust itself to the size of the'roll in the m specified. box, substantially as described.

9. In a governor for cotton-gins, the combi- In testimony whereof I affix my signature nation of the two feed-rolls, a connecting-rod, in presence of two witnesses. 5 a crank'for reciprocating the frame, an adjustable slide, the dog R, and set-screw 5, substan- I L. D. FORBES. tially as shown. I Witnesses: s 10. In a cotton-gin, a roll-breast that is dis- 0. S. DRURY,

connected from the frame of the gin, and which A. O. KISKADDEN. 

